After much debate, the NCAA lacrosse rules committee decided to implement changes in the faceoff rule this season, and even though it won't have significant impact, it helps the game.

If there are fewer illegal-procedure penalties called on faceoffs this season, then the new rule probably will serve its purpose.

And if there are more six-on-five fast breaks after faceoffs, then the rule definitely will be getting enforced.

According to the rule change, if a wing player commits a technical violation before a faceoff, that team's faceoff man must leave the field through the special-substitution area as the official begins play with a quick restart at midfield.

Also, when a faceoff violation occurs before the whistle, the offending team's faceoff player must leave the field and be substituted through the special-substitution area.

The time had come to make the change.

Before, if a team committed false starts before the faceoff, the penalty was that the other team got the ball. It wasn't stiff enough.

It seemed as if most teams were willing to take the risk. In one NCAA tournament quarterfinal game alone last spring, there were seven false starts.

Actually, facing off is a game inside the game, and everyone is looking for an edge. These guys try to anticipate the whistle much like a defensive lineman attempts to find the rhythm of a quarterback's snap count.

Are they cheating? Yes, but in sports, they're just trying to find the competitive edge. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't suffer a stiff penalty, just like an attackman caught with an illegal stick.

"The rule was changed to address a very specific issue. There was a consensus," said Navy coach Richie Meade, a member of last year's rules committee, which debated for six hours before deciding. "If this was surgery, this was the least invasive route. It was very straightforward and easy to accomplish. I think once everyone had a comfort level with the intent of the rule, they endorsed it and thought it was a good thing."

Meade is right. It changes very little about the game and no longer gives certain teams an advantage. In the past, if I had a strong defensive team and marginal faceoff specialists, then I'd gamble by moving early on some faceoffs.

If I were Johns Hopkins, Virginia, Syracuse or a team with superior talent, I'd take some risks on faceoffs, too, especially against an inferior team in the postseason.

But I'd think about taking risks now.

"I like it a lot," Towson coach Tony Seaman said. "I hope that it's going to be consistently administered in the right way. I think it's going to stop people from going early and having those violations we've had in the past because you're going to have to pay a price for having that person taken off the field."

The new rule change demands discipline from teams as well as officials. Coaches seem more concerned about whether the referees will be consistent in making the call.

"We have some reservations about it, but I think a lot is going to have to do with the officials and how they enforce it," Syracuse coach John Desko said. "I don't think officials want to be put in the spot to make those decisions. It depends on how they're going to call it. If they're firm with it, the players will adjust. If not, the players will do what they've been doing before."

Virginia coach Dom Starsia said: "I don't think it really addressed the issue. If the result is that few boys will jump, that would be good. My issue is that the officials don't call it when players jump. If the penalty is more severe now, will officials be less inclined to call it in the future? I don't think we can pass judgment until we see it in action."

Officials will be more aware of it now because the penalty is tougher, and it could have a major impact on a game. Coaches will stress it more in practice because of the same reason.

The lacrosse season is only one week old, but several coaches said they saw fewer false starts in the fall than in previous seasons.

"I like it a lot," Princeton coach Bill Tierney said. "But I think the effect is going to be what we thought the rule is going to do. I think the six-on-fives will be minimal. What you've seen already is less jumping on faceoffs ... I hope this really does add up."

mike.preston@baltsun.com